Deep Dive

Get into the details of what is happening in thematic reports that shed light on the latest geopolitical issues and trends.

Sugar From a Neighbor: Is the EAEU Goods Ban Reversal Enough?

An initial (but since reversed) ban on exports of Russian sugar and grain to the EAEU sparked negative sentiment in Central Asia that is unlikely to disappear in the near term.

A Digital Dollar: Is it Coming?

The US Federal Reserve has started to look at a US digital dollar but the likelihood of it being implemented any time soon remains slim.

South Korea’s Green New Deal: The Dirty Reality

As one of the world’s largest CO2-emitters, South Korea has pledged to go carbon neutral. However, decarbonization will be an uphill battle that will require more than what the government has planned.

Pipeline on Pause: Nord Stream 2 in the Context of War

The suspension of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline’s operations on the eve of the Ukraine invasion may not have the intended impact.

Telecommunications Infrastructure
The Pacific Communications Race

Australia is investing heavily in Pacific telecommunication networks in a rivalry with China for regional influence.

Photo: Agence France-Presse
The Crackdown in Sudan Continues as UN Consultations Conclude

The irreconcilability between Sudanese protestors’ demands and those of the military junta will likely complicate international efforts to facilitate a negotiated return to the country’s democratic transition. 

Photo: The Kremlin, Russia
China and the DRC: the Geoeconomics of Cobalt and Electric Vehicles

Chinese investors cut a secret deal with Congolese officials increasing their profit share of mining revenues while falling behind on promised infrastructure agreements.

Photo: J. Patrick Fischer
The Chaebol of South Korea: The Conglomerates that Dominate the Korean Economy

Successive attempts by South Korea’s government to rein in the country’s economic titans have been inadequate. As a result, the chaebols have only grown more powerful since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hun Sen and Min Aung Hlaing: A new challenge for ASEAN

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s latest move to normalize relations with Myanmar’s military junta raises questions as to which diplomatic course of action the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will pursue this year as Cambodia assumes chairmanship of the organization.

Post-protests, What’s Next for Kazakhstan?

Bloody unrest across Kazakhstan may prompt domestic and geopolitical shifts.